Helping Your Cat Adjust to a New Baby

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #yougottabekittenme #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret.

Cats don’t handle change well.

It was the night after we had packed up all our belongings to move across the country. We were staying at a friend’s house, saying some last goodbyes and hoping to get a little shut eye before the long drive ahead of us. I settled our newborn into the pack-n-play and went looking for our cat, Raya.

I wasn’t very concerned when I couldn’t find her at first. I figured she’d just found a comfy place to hide.

Oh did she ever!

After two hours of total panic and keeping everyone awake well past midnight, we finally found her; stuck inside the pool table! #yougottabekittenme !!! Thankfully, the rescue operation was a success. And I learned my lesson: helping cats adjust to new situations will help EVERYONE’S stress levels!

Give Them Attention

Once a new baby enters the scene, it can be tempting to just let your cat fend for themselves. But when a cat feels ignored, they are likely to act out in rather unpleasant ways. And nobody, I mean NOBODY, appreciates the smell of cat pee! Yuck! So whenever you have a spare moment, give the cat a little pat, say something sweet, or play around a bit with them.

You could try making a new toy to make them feel extra special. Something as simple as some yarn tied to the end of a stick can provide LOADS of entertainment.

Just cut 8-12 pieces of yarn. Wrap one strand of yarn securely around the end of the stick with a double knot, leaving a “tail” on either side. Repeat with each piece of yarn. (If you’re feeling extra fancy, you could tie bells or feathers on the end of the yarn. But our kitty prefers just plain string.) Oh, and don’t forget to PLAY!

 

Give Them a Place to Hide

While cats often crave attention, they also know when they need to regroup and have some alone time. A crying baby can be very unnerving for cat (and the baby’s parents might I add!). Make sure your cat has a quite place to get away from it all. You could give them a box with soft bedding to cuddle in, or even just prop open the door to a linen closet so they can hide in some towels. Make sure your pet has a place they feel secure so that they can come out when they feel comfortable.

Give Them a Stable Routine

With so much change surrounding the arrival of a new baby, keep as much the same as possible. If you cat is always fed at a certain time, maintain it. Don’t switch from wet food to dry food or vice versa. If someone else, besides an immediate family member, will be taking care of your pet during the birth, try introducing them BEFORE the big day. The more familiar your cat is with their care giver, the less stress they will be under.

We kept our cat litter the same too. We use Fresh Step Total Control with the Power of Febreze because it truly handles the odor. People are always SHOCKED to learn we have a cat and I know we owe a lot of that to Fresh Step Total Control with the Power of Febreze. It has Borate Technology that acts as an antimicrobial to avoid the nasty ammonia smell and has a fresh lemongrass scent. It comes with a money back guarantee, so there’s nothing to lose!

Fresh Step Total Control with the power of Febreze is only available at Sam’s Club in the pet care aisle. The 42 lbs. resealable bag is an incredible deal for members who get an automatic $3.50 in savings from the May Instant Savings Book, good 5/11-6/5.

A big THANK YOU to Fresh Step for giving us $100 so that we could make a donation to a no-kill shelter in honor of our Raya Sunshine. We’re so thankful that we got to adopt an adult cat from a wonderful shelter and now we got to give back!

By giving your cat attention, a place to hide and a stable routine, they’ll feel secure and happy. Our Raya loves her brothers and they love her back!

How have YOU helped your cat adjust to a new baby? Tell me in the comments below!